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URS CEO Koffel praises community during visit

By HALEY HUGHES

May 10 2013 12:22 am May 10 12:24 am

STAFF PHOTO BY ROB NOVIT
Martin Koffel, center, the president and CEO of URS Corporation, receives an honorary degree at USC Aiken's graduation ceremony prior to delivering the commencent address. He's joined by Amy Stone, secretary of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees, and Miles Loadholt, the USC Board chairman.

The chief officer of a major Savannah River Site contractor believes that as long as it has a “great customer” in the U.S. Department of Energy, it is “here forever.”

URS CEO Martin Koffel said this week he feels everything is going to be fine despite the budget constraints as a result of sequestration and as long as the right political decisions are made.

“We have to be careful that budget cuts and sequestration don’t delay critical missions. We have to remediate,” he said.

URS and Savannah River Remediation have held the liquid waste contract at SRS since 2009 and are tasked with operationally closing 22 waste tanks over the course of its contract. Most recently, Tanks 18 and 19 were closed in October.

“With the operational closure of these tanks, we have witnessed one of the nation’s most substantial nuclear waste tank cleanup efforts,” Savannah River Remediation President and Project Manager Dave Olson said at the time.

Koffel was in Aiken on Thursday, visiting with employees and community leaders, such as Aiken Technical College President Dr. Susan Winsor. He also delivered the commencement speech at USC Aiken’s graduation on Thursday.

He said he adores Aiken and is pleased with what URS is accomplishing.

“We have a great customer in DOE, a great workforce and a pro-business climate,” he added. “There is no better place to work in the world than at SRS.”

URS Global Management & Operations Services President David Pethick said business is predictable in that there will always be opportunities for the contractor to bid on projects. No incumbent sites are at risk, he said.

Global Management and Operations Services Business Group is headquartered in Aiken.

“We are running a global business from here,” Koffel said.

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